cheap power ram for benders!

[cbrogers]

Thanks,

That is what I was looking for.


Carl

[fishmanndotcom]

ok so i never reply and usually just lurk absorbing as much knowledge as i can. i love this site bc it is a no holes barred tech site for tools and fab. i thought i would post up my bender conversion you guys inspired me to start.

i bought a new house back in feb and i dont want to punch holes in the floor for the bender. i plan to sell the house when the market comes back and build a real house/shop a little further in the country. i also wanted it portable so i can move the bender outside for doing long tube and to work outside when its nice.

dont laugh, i know i have a long way to go to become a decent fab'er but i have to start somewhere so i figured this will help.

here are some pics of the beginning build pics:






i am still working on a design for the stand. i am pressed for room as it is so i cant build anything fancy like you guys and i need it to stow away easily.

thanks for the inspiration and i hope to contribute more as i 'get better'. lol

-cutts-

[bullnerd]

Do you guys think this style of clamp would work on a "welded T" type hydraulic ram?They're smooth on the outside ,so it should work right?

[Domino2205]

Great Job and thanks for sharing. I liked the way you built your stand to hold dies and pins. I never saw that at Harbor Freight but an excellant way to go indeed!

Dave

[tbd85hilux]

Originally Posted by caveman6332

PLEASE tell me that since you did this you upgraded to some grade 8 hardware... Those don't even look like grade 5 on the ram! If I'm wrong I apologize... But that's a hell of a lot of force on a un-graded bolt if it is!


Paul G.

[bullnerd]

Originally Posted by bullnerd

Do you guys think this style of clamp would work on a "welded T" type hydraulic ram?They're smooth on the outside ,so it should work right?

?

[caveman6332]

Originally Posted by tbd85hilux

PLEASE tell me that since you did this you upgraded to some grade 8 hardware... Those don't even look like grade 5 on the ram! If I'm wrong I apologize... But that's a hell of a lot of force on a un-graded bolt if it is!


Paul G.

To tell the truth, I didn't even think about it. but now that you mention it i will definetely upgrade them before I get around to use it.

[Domino2205]

check this out, I was at Harbor Freight today checking out the air over hydraulic ram and found this onsale for 89.00
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=98318

Dave

[KEGGER1454]

Originally Posted by Domino2205

check this out, I was at Harbor Freight today checking out the air over hydraulic ram and found this onsale for 89.00
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=98318

Dave

it says $120?

[balterbuilt]

i got mine for 60.00 some odd dollars

[Domino2205]

Originally Posted by KEGGER1454

it says $120?

it was onsale at the store

Dave

[jordan7118]

Picked up the HF air/hydro ram for $67 before tax using a 20% off coupon.

Got some 3" sch. 40 pipe and some 3/4" sch. 40 for the sleeve (terrible steel supply around here - would've preferred real TUBE )

Scheming on the way to mount this. Think I'm going to go for a cart that will allow mounting vertical and horizontal. Should be fun! I'll post up when I get something done. Thanks for all the ideas!

[vegasloki]

Great ideas guys. Mike Green pointed me to Northern Tool for a better ram than the HF and you can find OTC pumps for around a couple hundred bucks online. That brings it to just over 300 for something closer to what they sell as the kits.

While the under a hundred HF ram is pretty cost effective, I'm not thrilled about having around 40lbs extra (counting the ram and however it's attached) hanging off the bender like that.

[UnusualFabrication]

I've been planning on doing this conversion for awhile now. I have something planned out in my head but came across a few new ideas after reading all 9 pages of this thread, lol. I like the clamp portion of the OP but I think I'll incorporate a bracket that bolts into the end as well so it can't slip out of the collar. Maybe some bronze bushings for the mounting point of the cylinder to the bender? Also a return spring is a must. As far as weight hanging of the side goes, I doubt anything will happen to the thick steel frame of the JD2. Dollar for dollar the best conversion for a manual bender. I've been pricing the air/hydraulic kits from JD2 and your looking at $800-$1000 easy when you can do the HF conversion for around $100.

[feva4u]

I have a question for a little different twist on it. I have an enerpac air/hydro foot pedal but don't know how I would be able to make that work with a jack style cylinder. I can find a single acting spring return cylinder, but max travel I'm finding is about 11" for the 10 ton version. Is there a way to make the jack cylinder work with the enerpac foot pedal? I remember someone posting about using the air/hydro foot pedal from northern tool but I can't find it again on this little thing called the "internet" Any suggestions or help are appreciated.

[UnusualFabrication]

Well I finished my conversion up. I ended up making a 6" long collar and it uses five grade eight 1/2" bolts to squeeze it together. I made everything out of .250" wall. I used the crush sleeves that came in the bender and made slip fit .250" wall tubing collars with grease zerks at the pivot points. I added the return spring as well. Instead of welding a piece of solid round to the top of the release valve I knocked the pin back though the side of the release screw and turned a piece of aluminum and knurled it for a nice grip. I drilled the center so the release screw would fit inside it, drilled a hole though the side, and pressed the pin though the AL knob to hold both pieces together. All in all it turned out pretty good. I bent two 180 degree bends, about 2 minutes for each bend, in 1" .250" wall tubing. Next I'm going to try 1.250" .250" wall tubing and see what happens. I'm on my BlackBerry so I can't upload pics.

[lakecitydan]

So with this HF style conversion is it easier to repeat a bend?? how well does it work with the stop??

[russellmn]

The cylinder is slow enough it's very easy to repeat. You sorta "sneak" up on the angle without even trying.

BTW: This is how I did mine.

[RoverNUT]

What PSI are you guys running the HF ram at? I finished mine this week, and it won't bend at 120psi....

[Rokcrler]

Rover turn it 90* so the pump is down, i can bend with less than 90psi but run about 110...